Spring-brace.



No. 761,857. *PATENTED JUNE 7, 1-904.

SPRING .BRAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1903.

no MODEL.

Patented June 7, 1904.

*U I EDSTATES PATENT O I CLEMENT SMITH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

SPRING-BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,857, dated June 7, 1904. Applioationfiled September 17, 1903- Serial No. 173,595. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMENT SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Braces, of which the following is a Specification.

My invention pertains to springbraces, and is designed more'particularly as an im' provement upon the spring-brace constituting the subject-matter of my Letters Patent No. 740,051, of September 29, 1903.

The object of the present invention is to provide a spring-brace embodying a light and strong draft-bar calculated to yield so as to prevent injury of a vehicle when traveling over a rough road, and so constructed that there is no liability of the parts rattling.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a broken view of so much of a vehicle as is necessary to illustrate the application of my improved braces. Fig. 2 is a broken section taken in the plane indicated by the dotted lines 2 20f Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is aplan view illustrating the members of one of the draft-bars embodied in my improvements as they appear precedent to being connected with the axle and their complementary leader iron or arm.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which-f A is the body of a front axle of the vehicle; 0 o, elliptic motor-vehicle; B, the

plane slightly above that of the axle, and a draft bar or rod 6, disposed longitudinally ofthe vehicle and interposed between the axle B and the arm a. The draft bar or rod is formed of two members 0, of spring-steel or other suitable spring metal, Fig. 3, which are arranged back to back at an intermediate point'of their length, as indicated by d, and have outwardly-curved forward portions 0 and comparatively long outwardly curved rear portions f. c

In applying the draft bar or rod-the forward portions 0 of the members 0 are pressed together, as shown in Fig. 2, and are connected to the leader ironor arm a in a-hinged manner through the medium of a bolt h and a nut 71, while the rear portions f of said members are similarly pressed together and placed in a bifurcated fitting E on the axle and are connected to said fitting through the medium of a bolt 7' and a nut 70. When the draft bar or rod is applied as stated, it will be observed that the ends of the portions cf will tend to spring outwardly, and hence will effectually prevent rattling of the parts. It will also be observed that in addition to being noiseless the improved'draft bar or 'rod is simple and cheap and is adapted when the vehicle in which it is embodied is traveling over a rough road to yield slightly, and thereby lgssen the liability of the vehicle being inure It will be gathered from the foregoing that my improved braces D serve all of the purposes of the braces disclosed in my aforesaid contemporary application-that is to say, that without interfering in any manner with the efliciency of the springs C they pull the front axle, and thereby avoidpulli'ng said axle by the springs and at the same time render unnecessary the employment of a reach between the rear and front axles.

- The improved braces are, as before stated, designed more particularly for use in conjunction with elliptic springs,'with a view of rem-- dering practical the employment of such springs between heavy vehicle bodies and axles; but I desire it understood that the specific construction and arrangement of parts,

as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a motor-vehicle, the combination-of an axle, a body, one or more springs interposed between and connected to the axle and the body, arms fixedly connected to the body and extending downwardly and longitudinally forward therefrom to a point in front of and in about the same horizontal plane as the axle, and longitudinally disposed, combined yielding draft-bars and antirattlers interposed between and connected to the axle and the lower ends of the arms.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of an axle,

one or more springs interposed between and connected to the axle and the body, leader irons or arms connected to and extending downwardly from the body, and combined yielding draft-bars and anti rattlers interposed between and connected, in a hinged manner, with the axle and the lower portions of the leader irons or arms.

8. In a vehicle, the combination of an axle, abody, one or more springs interposed between and connected to the axle and the body, leader irons or arms connected to and extending downwardly from the body, suitable littings on the axle, and draft bars or rods interposed between and hinged to the leader- 1 irons and the fittings on the axle; the said bars or rods respectively comprising spring members arranged side by side, and bearing against each other at an intermediate point of their length, and shaped so that their ends tend to springoutwardly and serve as antirattlers.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLEMENT SM l'lll.

Witnesses:

HUGH LAwLon, C. O. MAeAw. 

